There’s something inspiring about listening to a person who loves what they do. “I love colour”, says Jennie Foley. “I love paint”. “I love pattern.” And she communicated that delight to us in her talk to WISE on 10 February.

When her mother asked the child Jennie what she wanted to do in life, the answer came easily: “I want to make the world more beautiful”. So Jennie went to art school, but had to decide between becoming a designer or an artist. Fine arts were thought of as more elevated than the applied or decorative arts; the artist alone in his or her studio more important than the designer pursuing her profession in the wide world.

Jennie was a successful textile designer for 30 years, creating fabrics that were taken up by Heals and John Lewis and numbers of international clients. One aspect of the work that she particularly valued was the constant feedback. Unlike the artist in his garret, the designer can always rely on a direct response to her work. At one of the large shows where Jennie would display her work, she could see immediately which designs had captured buyers’ attention. A design, once sold, might appear on furnishing fabrics, rugs & carpets, wallpapers, indeed a range of merchandise.

Operating in this world was fun, but Jennie admits it was tough, and she clearly had the drive and character to succeed – and the talent: that was evident from the gorgeous swatches and fat scrapbooks that she showed us.

Making the transition from designer to artist seemed like a natural progression. Jennie is now a painter, in acrylic and (especially for portraits) in oils. Some of her designs have been incorporated into her paintings, but loosed from the constraints of commercial design she plays freely with colour and media: cut-outs, collages, patchwork, painted furniture all feature. And all sing with joyful colour. For a happy hour and a half we were transported from the grey of a February afternoon.  Summary: Suzy Powling)